Hyderabad: Thousands of workers of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) in Hyderabad gathered to celebrate the stunning maiden performance of the party in the state assembly elections of neighbouring Maharashtra.
Expanding its political base for the first time in its more than six decade long political history, MIM won three assembly seats in Maharashtra. While two seats came from Marahtwada, which was part of erstwhile Nizam-ruled Hyderabad state, the third seat was Byculla in Mumbai. where Waris Yusuf Pathan, an advocate won the seat defeating strong BJP leader Madhukar G Chavan and Akhil Bharatiya Sena’s Geeta Gawli.
The second victory came in Aurangabad West where Syed Imtiaz Jaleel, a former NDTV correspondent won with an impressive margin of more than 22,000 votes.
In Nanded South, state chief of MIM Syed Moin Mukhtar emerged victorious. .
But there was confusion in adjoining Aurangabad East where MIM nominee Abdul Ghaffar Qadri was locked in a neck to neck race with Atul More of Shiv Sena. At one stage More was declared elected, but a recounting of votes was ordered on the objections of MIM candidate.
MIM put up impressive show in other constituencies thanks to multi-cornered fights and aggressive campaigning by party president Asaduddin Owaisi and his younger brother and MIM floor leader in Telangana assembly Akbaruddin Owaisi,
In Sholapur the MIM candidate came second with former union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s daughter Parniti winning. MIM also came second at Parbhani and third in Malegaon.
The party had fielded 24 candidates including former minister and Dalit leader Gangadhar Gade in Aurangabad and another Dalit leader Avinash Barve from Kurla in Mumbai.
Asaduddin Owaisi during his campaign had called for Dalit-Muslim unity in fighting for their rights and political justice.
“This is beginning of our fight for our rights and justice”, said Owaisi while welcoming the results.
Party workers thronged Darussalam, the party headquarters in Hyderabad shouting victory slogans.
MIM had made its intentions of growing beyond Telangana clear in 2012 when it won 11 seats in Nanded municipal corporation polls.
Traditionally Hyderabad has been the stronghold of MIM where it presently has seven Assembly seats. The party has also been winning Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat for the last thirty years which Asaduddin Owaisi represents now.
